Should be done both when beginning or renewing Rx for pain medicines and medicines to treat opioid use disorder
FRIDAY, July 24, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Doctors should tell patients and caregivers about the overdose antidote naloxone when they prescribe opioid painkillers such as Percocet and OxyContin and medicines to treat opioid addiction, including buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.
This should be done when beginning or renewing prescriptions for the medicines. The recommendation will now be required on the prescribing information for the medicines, the agency announced Thursday.
Naloxone can be given by people with or without medical training to treat opioid overdose. If administered quickly, naloxone can reverse the overdose, usually within minutes.
“Even during this global pandemic, we have continued to prioritize addressing the opioid crisis,” FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D., said in a statement. “Today’s action can help further raise awareness about this potentially life-saving treatment for individuals that may be at greater risk of an overdose and those in the community most likely to observe an overdose.”
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